You are invited to the opening of a groundbreaking new exhibition by young photographers at Hackney Museum

This exhibition features the work of Emma, Qwayne, Mohamed, Jason, Izu and Luke, students at The Garden School in Hackney.

The Garden School supports children with special educational needs many with an autistic spectrum disorder. When words don’t come easily, photography offers a voice to those for whom everyday communication is a challenge.

Opening Celebration Saturday 18th July 10.30am-12noon Hackney Museum

Join us for the opening and have your free family portrait taken with The Garden School photographers Jack and Sam. Refreshments will be served.

This exhibition has been created as part of Re:present programme and will be part of UK Disability History Month 2015 focusing in on disability and representation within the media and film.

With the rash of ice bucket challenge films being made across the global by the great and the good I started to think about would my response be, if I were to be nominated…

Creatively accepting the dare to be part of the Ice Bucket Challenge…

Giving to any cause for me comes from the heart, a want to give back to a charity I believe does good work in a sector of society that needs support i.e. homelessness, housing, overseas aid

Or to causes friends inspire me to find out more about through their personal connections i.e. Harrison’s Fund or those who I deem ‘crazy’ enough to run a marathon for

So mine time did come and I was called out to do my challenge, it even had a time limit on, which I missed by a day…

And that’s ok as the dare was more than just to fill up a bucket of water with ice and throw it over my head on film… it was an invite to be true to myself and consider one more time what and whom would I want to give my money to and how would I respond given wasting water is not a cool thing to do in my world.

My response was based on being a fundraiser for over 15 years in different guises with the belief that giving needs to be through free choice not through feeling awkward, pressured to conform or being accepted and fit in.

My hope is my version of the ice bucket, well ice tray challenge, is a truer reflection of the creative individual I am who through free choice gives creatively either because I have so much more than enough in my life to share around and/or sometimes it’s worth not having in my more than abundant life so others I may never know can benefit from clean water, a roof over their head, a friendly face and hot food…

What inspires you to give? Have you been nominated? If yes, what was your response?

Feedback used to scare the bejesus out of me… I read it all like criticism, new ways to add to my own internal mindtalk trains of very unhelpful and self critical chatter.

Now I welcome feedback as a tool for change, growth and love to learn (on the whole) what I can use to improve myself and what I love to be and do in the world.

Share the love – I want to know what you think!

So if you feel called to share your thoughts about any experiences you have had of working directly with me or if you have stumbled across me via Google, a random repost or share… then check out the links below;

For those who have worked directly with me via coaching sessions, workshops or event

Well it’s a good question and not one that can be ironed out over a cuppa…

I understand how overwhelming it can be to look at making your business and your life more ‘green’ and/or sustainable – this has been a passion of mine ever since primary school and a workshop we took part in on packaging – see the slide with the After Eights boxes…

Open To Create… is my day to day expression in the world of being part of co-creating an inheritable world for many future generations of all species on this planet.

You really just have to bring yourself and immerse yourself in the power of making for the sake of it, and discover how unjudged creative processes support new found confidence, friendship and healing tucked away in a hidden corner of Isleworth on Friends of Cathja Dutch Barge.

A film developed during a period of research when Albert visited with Friends of Cathja boat in Isleworth, London between December 2013 – May 2014.

The film allows you to submerge into a hidden world of making in free and unjudged ways, most of us would be unfamiliar with. You will get the feel of the rhythms of work made by Cathja’s friends and how they learn new ways of being and connecting in this safe space. Cathja is a Dutch barge moored in Isleworth and is a regular meeting place for adults seeking support at different times of challenge and isolation. The boat provides a place for meeting, making and moving forward very much at each individual’s pace and flow.